My Laguna Fusion TS should be arriving tomorrow. I have been trying to determine what the best way to go for a router table extension. I know cast iron would be best as far as reducing vibration etc but not sure if that is really the best way to go. I currently have a Ridgid router and really don’t want to buy another router. It seems like my options are to:

19 replies so far

Anyone who tells you that you need a cast iron router table top is full of it.

You need a sturdy plate than you can either purchase or make yourself. Aluminum is great for that.

The top can be melamine-coated particle board, plywood, plywood topped with laminate, reinforced MDF, or some kind of solid surface material (people use corian sink cutouts sometimes). As long as it’s stiff and pieces slide across it, it’s fine.

You definitely don’t need cast iron.My router table is a sheet of 3/4” plywood with countertop laminate on top and oak braces underneath to keep it flat. No plate for me; it’s a luxury IMHO. That said, is I were to use a plate, I would get one of incra’s aluminum plates. They have the best insert system available.

Save your $$ and make your own. NiteWalker’s method is the way to go inexpensively. I made an extension table in similar fashion as Nitewalkers but not for a router as I have a dedicated router table. Here’s a project link for some ideas, but for you imagine adding a router

Something to keep in mind about the MLCS is it’s not a standard plate size so will not work with most lifts and plates. I didn’t realize it when I bought it and now I can only find one lift for it from them. I believe the bench dog one is however. I am at the point of trying to decide do I sell the cast iron top and get something standard or spend the money on another non-standard item in the lift and hope it all works out. I’m leaning towards selling the thing at this point and cutting my loses to be honest.

Overall I think the cast iron top is a ok item but as others have said it’s not required. I would take a high quality laminate table from Jess’em over my MLCS cast iron table in a heartbeat after using both for sometime. Also building one is a good option as well.

Thanks for the feedback! It looks like it would probably be best to build my own. =) So the next question would be, should I go with a standard Incra plate or get the lift? I am looking mostly at getting something that will serve me well for a long time and then how much it costs (to a degree). For example, am I going to be happy with a plate or would it be better to invest in a lift? All I have used in the past is the built router extension on my TS that I just sold, so my experience is very limited. I finally have a bit of money to invest in upgrading my shop but don’t want to just blow it all because I have it.

kdc68: That is a nice set up! I will have to keep that in mind. I have not made an extension before, so it will be a learning experience. The Ryobi BT3100 that I just sold, had the ‘extension’ built in.

Richard: That is good to know. One of the main reasons I wanted to ask the question is because I don’t want to end up regretting getting the wrong thing and wanting to sell it either because I don’t like it or feel like I need to upgrade.

You don’t need a lift and you can do just fine without one for a very long time. However once you start to use a lift you will enjoy the connivence of having it. I lived without a lift for years but after using a Jess’em table for a time really don’t want to go back which is why I’m faced with selling my MLCS table or buying their lift. The Jess’em table had a electronic height adjustment that was dead on accurate after you zeroed it. Setting up to cut a 1/4” groove is very easy and accurate. Really more accurate than a router table needs to be honestly.

From what I have read after reading the above comments, the JessEm and Incra lifts are one and the same. It seems like it might be a good idea to go with one of those lifts and make my own table and fence. The BT3100 didn’t have a lift and it was a real pain to change bits and adjust depth settings. I can get the Incra for 20% off at Rockler.

I haven’t used the JessEm or the Incra, and I bet I’d love either of them if I did but $$$ vs. use I couldn’t swallow the price tag For $100 I installed the Router Raizer into my 3hp plunge PC and I have been very happy with the way it works. I built my wing and use the Rousseau plates so I can switch between multiple routers. With the Raizer I can crank the motor down very easily and change bits under the table.

-- I've decided 1 mistake is really 2 opportunities to learn.. learn how to fix it... and learn how to not repeat it

I am loving the big Triton. The Kreg insert plate has a hole redrilled for the height adjustment crank to fit through. Crank the router up, it locks the spindle automatically. Change bits or collets/bits. Crank it back down and your are ready to go to work. You do have to reach under the table to lock the spindle before routing.

I bought a pair of paddle switches from Rockler to operate the routers. So far, everything is working great.

Dummy plates cover the holes when I pull the routers and use the table as a workstation/outfeed table/clamping station, etc.

Depending on the router, I don’t see that you would need a lift. Simply reach under the extension wing and unlock(?) your router and lift/raise by hand.Save your money on a lift and buy the “blue cup”. Here is the build I did for my Triton beast:

I’m very happy with the setup. Will probably modify the fence later to add in a t-track so I can use hold-downs such as the Jessem types.